A Virtual Community of Practice to Support Health Literacy Implementation: A Multimethod Study

BACKGROUND: Community of Practices promotes members' collective learning, shared identity, and efforts to increase uptake of evidence-based practices. PURPOSE: To describe how a virtual Community of Practice facilitated and supported nurse champions to increase clinician health literacy practices in pediatric ambulatory clinics. METHODS: Transcripts from meetings June 2023 to May 2024 and interviews with champions and leaders conducted in March 2024 were analyzed using directed content analysis and the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services implementation framework. Clinician practices were assessed at baseline, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: The virtual Community of Practice increased champions' knowledge, provided resources, and supported ways to address clinic barriers. Observable impacts, such as teach-back identifying misunderstandings, boosted buy-in. Leadership support varied. Formalizing the community of practice into a formal council fostered sustainability. Clinics reported significant improvements in health literacy practices. CONCLUSION: A virtual Community of Practice can facilitate and support champions' facilitation of health literacy implementation in pediatric ambulatory clinics.